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New SMC Chair appointed |
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Dr Scott Muir, Image Credit: © Healthcare Improvement Scotland.
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Healthcare Improvement Scotland has announced that Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) which oversees approvals for new medicines, has a new chair.
Dr Scott Muir will lead NHS Scotland’s medicines gatekeeper SMC, the national advisory body on clinical and cost-effectiveness of new NHS Scotland medicines, until 2026.
Dr Muir is a consultant physician and clinical pharmacologist.
Every month, the SMC issues advice on proposed medicines for adopting into Scotland’s NHS. This includes reviewing and providing early access to medicines for rare diseases via the ultra-orphan medicines pathway.
As part of Healthcare Improvement Scotland, the SMC’s committee is made up of NHS board representatives, clinicians, pharmacists, members of the public and the pharmaceutical industry.
When making decisions, detailed evidence from pharmaceutical companies, patient groups and clinicians is reviewed by members of the SMC.
Dr Muir, who succeeds Mark MacGregor in the role of chair, said:
“At SMC we’re looking to provide the best possible advice on clinical and cost effectiveness for every new licensed medicine. In my opinion, the key strength of the SMC is its dedicated team of professionals and patient group partners who ensure that the patient perspective is at the heart of everything we aim to do.
“As a team, I hope we're able to build on the work of the previous chair and that we can continue to provide the very best advice on new medicines for the people of Scotland.”
Dr Muir works as a consultant in Glasgow’s Queen Elizabeth University hospital and, until recently, served as the chair of the SMC’s New Drugs Committee.
He was a Senior Lecturer in Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics at Glasgow University, before joining the NHS in 2009 and first became a member of the New Drugs Committee in 2015. He was Clinical Director for Medical Services in west Glasgow for almost four years.
During his career, Dr Muir has run clinical trials in cardiovascular medicine as well as teaching pharmacology and therapeutics.
He has also worked as the chair of the Area Drugs and Therapeutics Committee, which makes local decisions on medicines, for the Greater Glasgow and Clyde health board since 2018.
Healthcare Improvement Scotland said the SMC’s aim is to ensure Scots have timely access to the medicines that are proven to provide the most benefit.
The Chief Pharmaceutical Adviser of the SMC, Yvonne Semple, said:
“We’re delighted to welcome Scott to his new role as SMC Chair and to continue working with him.
“We’d like to thank Mark for all his hard work and commitment and wish him the very best for the future.”
Read more: New treatment for rare genetic condition approved; Scots women at the forefront of medical sciences; Redefining clinical meaningfulness; Old drugs offer new hope for kidney disease treatment
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